Rhetoric is defined as observing the available means of persuasion in a given situation. Speakers take into account their understanding of the audience and subject as well as their own intentions when communicating. The document outlines tools like SOAPSTone for analyzing rhetorical elements such as the speaker, audience, purpose, subject, and tone of a piece of writing or speech.

1. What is Rhetoric?
Aristotle defined it as “The art of observing, in any given
case, the available means of persuasion.”
Speakers always want to communicate with their listeners;
therefore, they take into account . . .
• Their understanding of the listeners (audience)
• Their understanding of the subject being explored
• Their own reasons for wishing to communicate
(intention)

2. The Rhetorical Triangle
Speaker or Writer
Context
Intention
Audience Subject

3. SOAPSTone tool for analysis
Sample questions you might ask:
 Speaker  Who is the speaker? What makes him/her
qualified?
 Occasion
 What affect does the time period play?
 Audience  Who is the intended audience?
 Purpose  What is the author’s purpose (intention)?
 Subject  What is this piece about?
 Tone  What diction, imagery, etc. is used to evince
a particular feeling?

6. Narrative
Intention is to May be...
present an event
to the reader- Short or long
what happened
and how it Factual or
happened. imagined
May instruct
and inform, or
simply divert
and amuse

7. Descriptive
Intention is to make the reader
as vividly aware as possible of
what the writer has perceived
through the senses (or in his
or her imagination), to give
the “feel” of things described,
the quality of direct
experience.

8. Two Purposes
Descriptive (cont.)
Objective Subjective
Description: Description:
~ ~
To convey To convey it
information with feeling
without bias
or emotion

9. Expository
Intention is to explain or expose
something.
~
Function is to inform, to
instruct, or to set forth ideas.

10. Expository
Can be broken into 5
categories
1. Comparison and Contrast
2. Classification and Division
3. Definition
4. Process
5. Cause and Effect

11. Argumentative
Intention is to make the reader
change his or her mind,
attitude, point of view, or
feelings.
~
The terms “argument” and
“persuasion” often used
interchangeably.

12. Argumentative
Argument -
aims to win readers’
agreement with an assertion
or claim by engaging their
powers of reasoning.

13. Argumentative
Persuasion –
aims to influence readers’
action, or their support for an
action, by engaging their
beliefs
and feelings.

14. Bibliography
 “Mr. Henry’s Webpage.” August 2012.
http://www.ssdcougars.org/webpages/rhenry/news.cfm